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The final national championship medals of 2024 are down for decision this Sunday as the 123.ie National Walks take centre stage at the final leg of the World Athletics Race Walking Tour which takes place in St. Annes Park in Raheny on Sunday 15th. Action is set for a 10.55am start with over 250 entries from 30 countries set to descent on the Dublin venue in what looks set to be the biggest ever turnout.

• The event timetable can be found HERE.
• Entry information is available HERE.

With a total prize pot for the Tour of north of $200,000, the fields boast a number of major championship medalists led by Tokyo 2020 Olympic 20km Race Walk Champion Massimo Stano from Italy who will have stiff competition from Paris 2024 silver medalist Caio Bonfin from Brazil over the 35km distance.

If Bonfin finishes in the top three, he will win the overall Tour prize pot of $25,000.

They will be joined by top class Irish opposition led by debutante Oisin Lane (Mullingar Harriers) who represented Ireland at the European Championships in Rome last summer and Joe Mooney (Adamstown) both of whom will be chasing qualification for the European Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Podebrady, Czechia next May.

The field will include athletes from France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ukraine as well as an elite trio from Mexico who will be confident of achieving World Championship qualification for Tokyo next Summer.

In the women’s 35km, the home challenge will be spearheaded by 2011 World Youth Champion Kate Veale (West Waterford) but she will face stern competition from athletes who have travelled from afar including Brazil, Ecuador, Hungary, India, Italy, a trio from Mexico and South Africa.

Tokyo 2020 Olympian David Kenny (Farranfore Maine Valley A.C.) has put his injury problems behind him and will be looking to lay down a marker for the year ahead with a strong showing over 20km.

Now coached by three time Olympian Jamie Costin, the Kerry man has put in a strong winter training to date and is expected to be close to his best form which saw him win a European U23 medal only three years ago.

He will not have things his own way however as the 20km has attracted a world class field with athletes from Algeria, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Finland, Finland, Great Britain including former World U20 Champion Callum Wilkinson who is coached by Olympic medalist Rob Heffernan, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and the USA.

There will be much focus is on the U20 10km events which double as the National Championships and the women’s race in particular where the winner could come from any of three athletes including Irish number one ranked U20 in 2024 Ciara Wilson (Dundrum South Dublin A.C.) Penn Relays High School 5000m Champion Savanagh O’Callaghan (Tuam) who is making her debut at 16 years old and two time National Senior silver medalist and University of Galway scholarship holder Aisling Lane (Mullingar Harriers).

Aoife Tuthill (Bandon) sister of Olympic hammer thrower Nicola will also be hoping for a strong showing as will Siobhan O’Reilly (Moy Valley) Sinead Maher (South Galway), and Beabhin Hosty (Loch Lurgan A.C.)

The international entries are headed by European U18 silver medalist Alessia Pop (Romania), UK senior champion Gracie Griffith and Moroccan Latifa Aarabi who is the African U18 champion.

The U20 men’s 10km will see a mouthwatering match up led by European U18 silver medalist Seamus Clarke(Moy Valley A.C.) top ranked U20 in 2024 Andrew Glennon (Mullingar Harriers A.C.) and European U18 top 8 finisher Matthew Newell (Tuam A.C.)

The U23 10km will also see a very competitive race and much is expected from Méabh O’Connor (Waterford A.C.) the ever improving Éabha de Faoite (Kenmare A.C) while Rachel Bouquin from France and Hannah Hopper of Great Britain lead the international entries.

The 5km races for U16 and U18s sees a bumper entry of over 30 athletes and both Robin og Murphy (Longford) and Aoife Martin (Carraig-Na-Bhfear A.C.) will both have an eye on the qualifying time for the European Youth Olympics next summer.

The international entries are headed by French U18 champion Julia Lebeau.

The U16 5km sees a battle of the clubs with the Carraig-Na-Bhfear A.C  duo of Robyn Maher and Anna Mullins taking on the multiple national medalists from Moy Valley in Pearl Sands and Lillian O’Brien,

Finn Valley’s Leah O’Gara has made great progress this year and will be one to watch as will Clonmel’s Niamh Clarke.

Cliodhna Ni Chonaill from Castlegar leads the entries in the U16 3km which includes athletes from USA, Romania, Britain and Latvia while double All Ireland champion Cuisle O’Callaghan leads a field of five from Tuam who are part of a 30 strong field in the U14 2km including entries from Britain, Lativa and Romania.

On the boys side Luke Fitzmaurice (North Leitrim) and Daniel Glennon (Mullingar Harriers) lead the entries in the 5km and 3km respectively.

The masters 10km concludes the programme which sees entries from Fianna Fail former senator Brian O’Domhnaill (Killybegs) and has international entries from France, Sweden, USA, Latvia and leading San Francisco prosecutor Paul de Meester from the USA.

The U11 500m entries include Tara and Regan Heffernan from Cork City, daughters of the legendary Olympians Rob and Marian Heffernan and will attract some attention.